Johnson, a Republican whose office is charged with collecting such fees, said she has tremendous respect for Gov. Rick Snyder. But Johnson said she disagrees with the proposal to raise more than $1 billion in part through the fees.

The governor's plan, if approved by the Legislature, also would hike annual registration fees by approximately 60 percent for passenger vehicles and 25 percent for large trucks. He estimates that would be an average of $120 per vehicle.

“We have too many families who already are struggling to get by,” Johnson told MLive reporters in Grand Rapids on Wednesday. “Those fees would be on top of what they’re already paying, and it’s difficult for many of our residents.”

Johnson said there is no doubt that Michigan roads are in rough shape – “some of the worst in the nation” – but said money the state should look toward the federal government for help.

She said Michigan has long been “a donor state,” paying more in federal taxes than getting back in infrastructure aid.

“We need to stop being a cash cow for roads in other states,” she said.

As secretary of state, Johnson doesn't have a vote in the Legislature. But she's a high-profile Republican, and one of the first to openly object to the governor's plan.

Snyder on Feb. 7 unveiled his fiscal year 2014 executive budget recommendation calling for a new road funding model that would essentially double taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel while significantly increasing registration fees for passenger vehicles and heavy trucks.

Michigan motorists now pay a 19-cent tax on each gallon of gasoline they purchase and 15 cents on each gallon of diesel. Snyder's plan would raise each to the equivalent of 33 cents-per-gallon through a wholesale tax. After two years, the fixed rate could rise or fall up to about five percent annually, depending on inflation and other factors, with a cap on the high end.